海角大神

Senior聽Republicans聽urged congressman聽Todd Akin聽on Monday to quit the U.S. Senate race in聽Missouri聽over his inflammatory remarks about rape that distracted from the party's nomination next week of Mitt Romney for U.S. president.

Akin was widely criticized for saying in a television interview Sunday that women have biological defenses to prevent pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape," making legal abortion unnecessary.

As pressure built on Akin,聽Republicans聽cut off cash for his campaign which had looked like a relatively easy victory against Democratic Senator聽Claire McCaskill.

In a rare appearance in the聽White House聽briefing room, President聽Barack Obama聽called Akin's remarks offensive, compounding the聽Republicans' discomfort.

The furor pushed the campaign debate squarely onto social issues and away from jobs, which Romney has tried to keep at the center of his bid to win the Nov. 6 presidential election.

Akin's remarks complicated Republican efforts to capture the four Democratic seats they need ensure a majority in the 100-member聽Senate.

U.S. Senator聽John Cornyn, chairman of the influential committee that raises money for Republican聽Senate聽candidates, called Akin's comments "indefensible."

The committee will withhold $5 million in planned spending on TV advertising in聽Missouri聽if Akin聽does not step aside, a committee official said.

"I recognize that this is a difficult time for him, but over the next 24 hours, congressman Akin聽should carefully consider what is best for him, his family, the聽Republican Party, and the values that he cares about and has fought for throughout his career in public service," Cornyn said.

Republican National Committee听颁丑补颈谤尘补苍听Reince Priebus, asked whether Akin聽should drop out of the Senate race, told CNN: "If it was me, I would step aside and let someone else run for that office." Priebus condemned Akin聽for a "bizarre statement" that is "biologically stupid," and said he would prefer if Akin聽not attend the Republican National Convention next week.

Democrats used the Akin聽remarks as evidence that聽Republicans聽are waging a "war on women," largely over birth control.

"Rape is rape," Obama said. Akin's comments underscore "why we shouldn't have a bunch of politicians, a majority of whom are men, making health care decisions on behalf of women," he said.

Akin, a聽Tea Party-backed conservative who opposes abortion, caused an uproar when he said in the interview that the need for abortions in the case of rape was "a particularly tough ethical question."聽

'Legitimate rape'

"It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that is really rare," Akin聽said of pregnancy caused by rape. "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," Akin聽said.

Romney, who polls show trails Obama with women voters, called Akin's comments "insulting, inexcusable, and, frankly wrong" in an interview with the National Review online.

The controversy took the spotlight away from Republican Party preparations for the coronation of Romney as its nominee at the national convention next week in聽Tampa.

The firestorm over Akin's remarks erupted as another Republican lawmaker, freshman congressman聽Kevin Yoder, came under fire for swimming naked in聽Israel's Sea of Galilee during an August 2011 trip with other members of聽Congress. Both events featured prominently on the national television news broadcasts.聽

Akin said Monday he misspoke. He apologized but said he had no plans to drop out of the Senate race.

"The good people of聽Missouri聽nominated me and I'm not a quitter. My belief is we're going to take this one forward, and by the grace of God, we're going to win this race," he told The Mike Huckabee Show, a radio program hosted by the former聽Arkansas聽governor, a favorite of religious conservatives and an聽Akin supporter.

American Crossroads, a pro-Republican outside funding group linked to strategist聽Karl Rove, said it was pulling its advertising from the聽Missouri聽race. The group said it has already spent $5.4 million in聽Missouri.

Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the U.S.聽Senate, also said Akin聽should consider leaving the race.

Akin has until Tuesday evening to withdraw without a court order, or until Sept. 25 if he produces a court order to take his name off the ballot.

If he did step aside, the聽Missouri Republican committee聽would nominate a new candidate to run for the聽Senate. That candidate would not have to be one of his two primary opponents.

Besides distancing itself from Akin, Romney's campaign said a聽Romney administration聽would not oppose abortion in case of rape. That would be a departure from the position of his vice presidential pick, U.S. Representative聽Paul Ryan, who has proposed legislation that would outlaw abortion with no exception for rape.

Ryan co-sponsored a bill with Akin聽in the House of Representatives that would have changed the legal definition of rape to "forcible rape" to narrow access to federal funding for abortions. Critics said the measure could exempt victims of statutory rape.

McCaskill is one of the most vulnerable聽Senate聽Democrats in a state that has shifted to the right since she was elected in 2006. Recent polls had shown Akin聽with a 10-point lead over her.

Akin, a six-term congressman from the聽St. Louis聽suburbs, won the Republican nomination to oppose McCaskill just two weeks ago after a hard-fought three-way primary race.

(Addditional reporting by Susan Heavey and Alina Selyukh; Editing by Alistair Bell and Doina Chiacu)